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Visualized: the HTC keyboard slider family
Clockwise from the top left, that's the Sprint Arrive, the likely-for-Verizon Merge, the Sprint Evo Shift 4G, and the T-Mobile G2. If we had to rate them, we'd say the Arrive has the best key feel, followed by the Merge, the Evo Shift, and finally the cramped G2 -- although the super cheap-feeling hinge on the Evo Shift knocks off several points. We'd also say the physical keys on the G2 feel better than the mushy keys on the Merge, but the G2's cramped layout doesn't do it any favors. In any event, picking one of these is a pretty great problem to have, don't you think?
4G at CES 2011: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile make big moves
Traditionally, CES isn't a huge mobile event -- the biggest phone news has historically been saved for MWC in February and CTIA in March -- but that changed in a huge way this week. Looks like 2011 is shaping up to be the year of 4G, and both carriers and manufacturers alike wasted no time jumping on the hype bandwagon with a variety of announcements that promise to make the next few months exciting... and really, really fast. AT&T kicked things off early in the show, but it was just the beginning of a relentless torrent of mobile news that lasted for days and ultimately left us with a pile of devices and network upgrades that should take us at least through the middle of the year. Read on for the recap!
Sprint trots out HTC EVO Shift 4G and new 3G / 4G MiFi from Novatel
It's been leaked all over the place, but Sprint has just confirmed its second EVO: the EVO Shift 4G. The big new addition is obviously the slide-out keyboard, but otherwise, while specs are solid, there's nothing as revolutionary as the original EVO. The Shift has a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 LCD, Android 2.2 (with HTC Sense), and the same great 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7630 processor that's in the G2 and myTouch 4G. Naturally there's WiMAX 4g, in addition to EVDO Rev A., and HTC hopes to keep those radios alive with a 1500mAh battery. There's a 5 megapixel camera around back, capable of 720p video, but oddly no front-facing camera -- something we assumed was part of the definition of EVO. The phone will be available on the 9th for $150. Meanwhile, Novatel Wireless is cooking up its own WiMAX goodness, putting 3G and 4G in a brand new MiFi device, the MiFi 3G / 4G Mobile Hotspot. It includes a display for tracking status of the device, unlike Novatel's 3G MiFis, claims 4 hours of active use and 60 hours of standby, and can share storage from its microSD slot with connected devices. It should be out on February 27th for $50 with a two-year contract. %Gallery-112467%
Sprint EVO Shift 4G shows up on Walmart's website, HTC teases big in Vegas
"It's not your dream phone. It's the one after that," coming January 6th. Catchy teaser from HTC, as seen displayed across the side of an entire building for all the CES attendees to see. We can't say for sure what device it's referencing, but we wouldn't be entirely surprised if it ended up being the oft-leaked sequel to its Evo 4G, aptly titled the Evo Shift 4G. Walmart's got a page up for the device, and while the listed specs are heavily contradictory (a 3.7-inch screen that's also a 4.3-inch display? Android 2.2 but no threaded messaging?), the gallery of crisp press shots are definitely a sight to see, Sprint logo and all. Enjoy those below, and stay tuned for your next dream phone (does that mean we won't want it until we sign a two-year contract for something else?) this Thursday -- picture of the teaser after the break. [Thanks, David M] %Gallery-112382%
HTC EVO Shift 4G spotted in the wild, said to have 800MHz CPU
We had our doubts the last time we encountered an HTC EVO Shift 4G, but it looks like they were mostly unfounded -- here's Sprint's new QWERTY slider in the flesh -- armor finally shed -- revealing a chrome bezel beneath. PhoneArena obtained these pics from an anonymous tipster, who says the device has an 800MHz processor much like the T-Mobile G2, and while we can't infer much more about the internals than we have before, there are a few new things to note: HTC Sense is alive and well, there's a particularly large camera module buried in the smooth plastic back and a headphone jack up top, and it appears there's a pair of status LEDs for Caps Lock and Function Lock right above the keyboard. See two more pics of the device at the source link below, while we wait for Sprint to own up.
HTC EVO Shift 4G (Knight / Speedy) gets leaked picture, January 9th release date?
We'll warn you that we have nothing but the word of an alleged Sprint employee that this is the real deal, but we don't know what else it could be -- if it walks like a duck and quacks like an EVO with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, we're inclined to believe it's the HTC EVO Shift 4G. Factor in the noticeable lack of front-facing camera, silver trackpad and those throwback flat keys, and we're even willing to forgive those hastily penciled watermarks on the keyboard and on top of the clearly 'shopped screen. Even if this shot is legit, we haven't seen the full device yet -- it sure looks like this Knight is wearing a suit of plastic armor around the edges. In possibly related news, Android Central nabbed an alleged screenshot of a Sprint database showing an "HTC A7373" handset coming to Sprint on January 9th, and while one Russian e-tailer seems to think that codename refers to the GSM-friendly Desire Z, we have to imagine a Knight / Speedy / EVO Shift release is far more likely than a T-Mobile G2 redux on Sprint's CDMA frequencies. Update: Just to be clear, there are a few things about this image that irk us, not least of which that pasted-on screen. We're inclined to think this might be a dummy unit that was touched up to look like a real phone.
EVO Shift 4G (aka HTC Knight / Speedy) shows up in accessory pics, exhibits dubious dress Sense
Can't have enough Androids in your life? Well, here's another one! Alternately known as the Knight or the Speedy, HTC's upcoming Android device has made a couple of premature photo appearances in an effort to help sell some cases for its future self. The guys at HTCPedia report they have all the cases in their imagery in stock and confidently identify the Speedy Knight as a 3.7-inch QWERTY slider, while the phone's UI and rear inscription leave no doubt about it running HTC's Sense skin for Android. The likeliest scenario for this phone's retail future is that it'll be dubbed the EVO Shift 4G and exploit Sprint's WiMAX airwaves, leaving the only unresolved issue as a one-word query: when?
HTC attempts to trademark 'HTC EVO Shift 4G'
What would you name your next superphone? HTC may be calling its device the HTC EVO Shift 4G, as that's the name its lawyers filed for trademark for on the 21st of last month. We can't say which particular gizmo the moniker refers to, though it evokes a Sprint leaning, as well as dredging up our suppressed feelings towards a certain QWERTY-equipped MID. Though, interestingly enough, the company applied for "HTC EVO 4G Shift" before changing the name to "HTC EVO Shift 4G." We'll let you draw your own conclusions about what that could possibly mean. [Thanks, Naval P.]
